Falling Maids

As with any other home décor fixture, windows, grilles and doors need cleaning and upkeep.  Windows especially need regular cleaning to allow natural light and keep the outside view clear and unobstructed.  However, window cleaning comes with an inherent risk for the person cleaning them.  There’s an obvious risk of falling off from the windows when one tries to clean them from outside.  And a fall from a height is likely to be fatal.

In Singapore, where house maids are commonly tasked with cleaning window exteriors the cases of maids falling off have been on the rise in the recent times.  Many maids do not come from a high rise living environment and do not realize the seriousness of such risks.  The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has recently issued a ruling to uphold the safety conditions for foreign domestic workers whilst performing window cleaning duties.  These are applicable to homes at all levels except for ground level or along common corridor windows.  These are –

• Homeowners are required to be physically present to supervise the maid for window cleaning jobs
• Secondly, Window Grilles must be present and should be kept locked during the cleaning process

MOM has warned that failure to comply with these tightened requirements constitutes a breach of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Regulations